London’s Raindance Film Festival is making a significant calendar shift for its 32nd edition, moving from its traditional fall slot to a new summer schedule. Raindance kicks off with the U.K.
premiere of Tilman Singer’s “ Cuckoo ,” a horror feature starring Hunter Schafer and Dan Stevens that previously played at Berlin and SXSW. Closing the festival is the European premiere of “National Anthem” by Luke Gilford, starring Charlie Plummer as a construction worker joining a community of queer rodeo performers. The film, which was at Toronto and SXSW, leads into the Pride in London weekend with a wild West End party.
This year, Germany is the festival’s guest of honor. The festival will showcase new German films, including “Cuckoo,” “Eternal You” and “What You See of Me.” A dedicated shorts program and industry panels, including a session with production designer Mona Cathleen Otterbach, will highlight Germany’s cinematic achievements.
A retrospective will feature Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” with a masterclass by actor Christian Friedel, discussing his role in this and other films. The competition features strands like Discovery, highlighting debut directors. Titles include “Arni” by Dorka Vermes, “Cat Call” by Rozália Szelenczki and “It’s Burning” by Erol Afsin.
The international strand includes “Animal” by Sofia Exarchou and “Body Odyssey” by Grazia Tricarico, with Julian Sands in his final film role. Notable in.
